FROM THE LENS GRE AT WORKSPACES
Finely Crafted M.S. Rau renovation and expansion brings worldclass jewelry gallery to the French Quarter BY M E L A N IE WAR NE R SPE NCER PHOTOS BY SAR A E SSE X B R ADLEY
IN NOVEMBER, THE OWNERS OF M.S. R AU
completed a multi-year renovation and expansion at the French Quarter fine art, antiques and jewelry gallery known for its museum-quality exhibitions. The final stage included the addition of 10,000 items to the jewelry gallery. “Our goal for this phase was to provide a showroom for our jewelry offerings that matched the quality of the jewelry we offer,” says Scott Ferguson, M.S. Rau’s CFO. “To that end, we really feel like we met the challenge.” The resultant eye-popping space has sophistication and atmosphere to spare, which will come as no surprise to the company’s well-heeled clientele. Ferguson and members of the construction design team at Palmisano recently visited with us to share some of the process, trials and triumphs of creating this new, one-of-akind space.
What were your goals for the design and why?
Adam Zander: To create the most prestigious, unique and world class gallery that would house only the rarest and finest jewelry in the world.
What, if any, was the biggest design challenge, and how was it overcome?
Scott Ferguson: This is a project we deferred for over a year due to COVID19. Like any old building, you don’t really know what you are working with until demolition is completed. We discovered several walls that were severely out of plumb, two lengths of footings that had to be replaced and water encroachment from the walls we share with our neighbors. The un-plumb walls caused a real problem when installing the vault with 4-inch-thick rigid walls, but the team worked around the clock to complete the work success-
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BIZ NEW ORLEANS
DECEMBER 2021
M.S. Rau — the French Quarter fine art, antiques and jewelry gallery known for its museum-quality exhibitions — recently completed the final stage of an extensive renovation and expansion that included the addition of 10,000 items to the jewelry gallery.
